1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck tailgates, and more particularly to truck tailgates that can also be converted into a ramp.
2) Description of the Related Art
Truck tailgates that can be converted into ramps for loading items into the bed of a truck are well known in the art of truck tailgates. Several patents have issued concerning rampable tailgates. U.S. Pat. No. 5,156,432 to McCleary for Folding Gate Ramp For Pickup Trucks includes disclosure of a tailgate that can be used as a ramp by unfolding two planar members that are connected pivotally together. U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,437 to Gerulf for Combination Tailgate and Ramp Assembly includes disclosure of a tailgate that can be converted into a ramp by the following steps. The first step is lowering the tailgate which is comprised of two planar members. The second step is unlatching the two planar members which lie one on top of the other. The third step is removing bolts from the fastener brackets which disconnects the planar members. The fourth step is picking up and rotating one planar member ninety degrees so that the member serves as a portion of the ramp. The fifth step is rotating the other planar member ninety degrees, sliding the second planar member away from the first planar member, and then flipping the second planar member over to complete the ramp. U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,335 to Belnap et al. for Truck Ramp/Tailgate includes disclosure of a foldable tailgate comprising of four planar members. Two exterior planar members unfold to form a portion of the ramp and also serve to house two interior planar members. By pulling one of the exterior planar members away from the rear of the truck, the interior planar members are removed from their housing and extended to form a ramp from the rear of the truck.
Examining these devices however reveals several shortcomings. One shortcoming, concerning designs in which the rampable tailgate consists of two foldable members, is the difficulty one would have manually loading items into the bed of the truck. A two-fold ramp is rather short and creates a steep incline. Thus more force is required to roll items into the bed of the truck.
Designs having the tailgate comprised of two planar members, which must be disconnected and rotated to form a ramp, require several steps to convert the tailgate into the ramp. Furthermore, converting the tailgate into a ramp requires using bolts that are detachable from the tailgate and are stored separate from the ramp. If the bolts are misplaced while using the tailgate as a ramp, the planar pieces cannot be reattached to form the tailgate.
Another design showing a rampable tailgate comprising of four planar members, where two planar members are housed within two exterior planar members, has the disadvantage that the planar members may become rusted, scratched, and/or dented over time. This damage will impede separating the exterior members when converting the tailgate into the ramp. The rust, scratches and dents will increase friction between the interior and exterior members, thereby making it difficult to extend the ramp by pulling one of the exterior members over the interior members.
One shortcoming common to all these tailgates is that in attaching a goose neck trailer to the truck, the tailgate must be lowered. No opening in the tailgate exists so that the trailer can be attached to the truck without having to lower the tailgate.
In summary, several problems become apparent upon examining current rampable tailgates. One problem is that having a rampable tailgate comprising of two foldable planar members increases the angle of the ramp with the rear of the truck. Another problem occurs with tailgates that require extra steps and have detachable parts. The extra steps require more time and the detachable parts maybe lost when converting the tailgate into a ramp. Still another problem is that some tailgates require that parts of the ramps be exposed by sliding exterior members over interior members. As these ramps are used over time; rust, scratches and dents will make converting these tailgates into ramps difficult. An additional problem is that all of these devices require that the tailgate be lowered to attach a goose neck trailer to the truck.